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Welcome to Am I Infected

IMPORTANT UPDATE
Posted Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Welcome to the "Am I Infected?" POZ forum.

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Thank you for your understanding
and future support of the best online support service for people living with,
affected by and at risk for HIV.

Did something really stupid while away on business. Started feeling ill yesterday which was 3 1/2 - 4 days post protected sex (twice with condoms) with pro. Have been diagnosed with all of the above a couple of hours ago (Diagnosed Symptoms -Sinusitis, Throat, 102 Temp, lymph nodes). It was pretty rough and there was mm and serious tongue kissing. Is it possible that the symptoms are ARS? Is it too soon. Beside myself. Please help.

COndoms provide very effective protection against HIV transmission. So that covered you literally and figuratively there. Neither mutual masturbation nor kissing are risky acitivities as far as HIV is concerned. So you have no reason to be concerned about HIV in relation to this incident.

As for your symptoms, discuss them with your doctor. They have nothing to do with HIV.

I'm wondering if guilt or shame are playing a part in your worrying about this. You have no basis in HIV science to be concerned.

Other STDs are much easier to acquire than HIV. If you are sexually active it's always a good idea to regularly have a full STD panel -- at least annually and every six months is even better.

I seem to remember at the end of the second time that it had come off..Not sure now if there was protection in place the whole time..nearly sure but...There was alot of alcohol involved...Now it's been 17 days. My symptoms started at 3.5 days and ended at day 7. Then I got cold sores for a week...just ended.Now I am freking because I read that while symptoms usually start at 2-4 weeks they can start much sooner. Please tell me what I should do..afraid of infecting significant other..

If you have any doubts about your hiv status, the only thing for it is to test. However, don't be surprised if you get a negative result. Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus and more so from a woman to a man.

Nothing about your symptoms are consistent with primary hiv infection. Not even the cold sores - they most likely cropped up because stress will do that to you.

As the vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, a test at that time would be an excellent indication of your true hiv status, but should be confirmed at the three month point. If your illness did have anything to do with hiv, you would test positive by six weeks.

My personal opinion is that you are worrying over nothing, but as hiv is nothing to guess about and you were too drunk to remember correctly, a test would be prudent.

Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results. Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv.

If you and your "significant other" haven't tested together, you need to be using condoms anyway. You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL STIs together.To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

There's the answer to your symptoms right there. Yes, it is totally possible to worry yourself to the point of feeling unwell. Go see your doctor to make sure there is nothing else going on. Whatever IS going on, it's very unlikely to have anything to do with hiv.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I read the symptoms piece in the transmission section of the lessons and it says .."In rare instances they may occur within a few days after the exposure has taken place.." The symptoms I described a couple of weeks ago were diagnosed at Day 4 by a doctor. Should I still be concerned about this? Very worried.. Now at day 26...

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

You used condoms so you were protected against anything the women MIGHT have had. The symptoms were way too early. This isn't HIV.

Logged

NB. Any advice about HIV is given in addition to your own medical advice and not intended to replace it. You should never make clinical decisions based on what anyone says on the internet but rather check with your ID doctor first. Discussions from the internet are just that - Discussions. They may give you food for thought, but they should not direct you to do anything but fuel discussion.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts